Local Watch
Golf Course, Housing Plan Splits Small Foothills Town
Submitted by Paul Shigley on 26 January 2010 - 3:30pmThe largest development project ever approved in Amador County might also become the first project in the county to be decided by voters in a referendum.
With 1,334 housing units, 300 time-share units, a golf course resort and a commercial area, Gold Rush Ranch would approximately double the size of the City of Sutter Creek. Project opponents say the project is simply too big, and they fear Gold Rush Ranch could mark the start of extensive suburban-style development in an area that has been relatively slow to grow.
South Sutter Specific Plan Envisions New City In Valley
Submitted by Paul Shigley on 11 January 2010 - 1:50pmAfter two decades of false starts, public and private planning efforts, litigation and ballot measures, development in South Sutter County appears ready to commence – just as soon as the economy rebounds.
Proposed Quarry Is Unwelcome Neighbor In Temecula
Submitted by Paul Shigley on 24 November 2009 - 11:01amResidents of the Riverside County city of Temecula, which has been among the state’s fastest growing cities for 20 years, have run into some growth they do not want. City leaders and local residents are opposing a proposed quarry located one mile south of the city limits near the San Diego County line.
Suisun City Redevelopment Advances Into Second Phase
Submitted by Paul Shigley on 15 July 2009 - 2:20pmTen years ago, Suisun City was one of the nation’s great redevelopment success stories. Plagued by violent, drug-dealing gangs, it literally bulldozed their strongholds to make room for a fancy civic center. The city reclaimed its neglected waterfront and approved the construction of hundreds of homes in a traditional neighborhood development.
The Solano County city became a case study for planners, new urbanists and journalists. But all the success and awards have not lessened a feeling that Suisun City’s redevelopment still has a long ways to go.
Ontario Seeks To Make Its General Plan An Everyday Tool
Submitted by Paul Shigley on 1 July 2009 - 9:48amThe City of Ontario is on the verge of adopting a general plan unlike any in California. Its goal of transforming Ontario into a bustling urban place of 350,000 residents with the state’s most elaborate transit hub is not what sets the plan apart. Instead, it is how the plan is being developed on the Internet and in conjunction with other city plans and policies.
Horse Racing's Decline May Be Cities' Infill Opportunity
Submitted by Paul Shigley on 1 June 2009 - 9:18amNo fewer than four of California's once-proud of racetracks have entered some form of bankruptcy, redevelopment, or uncertainty. With attendance and handle down at California tracks – as at tracks across the country – rare opportunities are emerging to redevelop outsized parcels that sit amid heavily urbanized areas. Thanks in part to competition from off-track betting and Indian casinos as well as nationwide trends, Bay Meadows Racetrack in San Mateo has already been demolished, and Inglewood’s Hollywood Park could cease racing operations and face demolition as early as August.
Petaluma Disbands Its Planning Department
Submitted by Paul Shigley on 27 April 2009 - 2:07pmIn a budget-cutting move, the City of Petaluma is disbanding its Community Development Department. After slashing the department from 23 to 11 employees in September 2008, the City Council more recently voted 4-2 to lay off all remaining planners, including the community development director.
San Leandro Embraces Its Past, Present And Future
Submitted by Paul Shigley on 31 March 2009 - 11:09amDowntown San Leandro is clearly in transition. A working-class city with a large industrial base located just south of Oakland, San Leandro’s suburban past and its more urban future are present at the same time. Now, the city has big plans to transform its downtown into a truly urban, pedestrian-oriented place that takes full advantage of the BART station and a planned bus rapid transit line.
What's The Rush? Lawsuit Questions SLO County Project Approval
Submitted by Paul Shigley on 2 March 2009 - 11:35amOpponents of a proposed development on the Santa Margarita Ranch outside of San Luis Obispo have sued the county, arguing it violated numerous state laws when it approved the project during a special meeting two days before Christmas. The lawsuit is only the latest in the long-running controversy regarding the fate of the 13,800-acre ranch.
Concord Base Reuse Plan Departs From Suburbia
Submitted by Paul Shigley on 2 February 2009 - 2:24pmThe City of Concord has chosen a preferred alternative plan for reuse of the shuttered Concord Naval Weapon Station that emphasizes transit-oriented development and job growth while designating 65% of the 5,000-acre site for open space and parks.
